First Nations and Métis Education Services

The SSBA offers First Nations and Métis Education Services, in support of its strategic plan and the Indigenous Council. The Indigenous Council consists of all self-identified First Nations and Métis school board members in Saskatchewan. The Indigenous Council elects one member to act as the Indigenous Constituency Representative on the SSBA Provincial Executive. Currently, the Council represents 11 per cent of all Saskatchewan school board trustees. Prior to the October 2016 school board elections, nine per cent of all Saskatchewan school board trustees had self-declared as Indigenous.

SSBA First Nations and Métis Education Services include:

Supporting the Indigenous Council in advancing initiatives, projects, and programs

Indigenous culture and reconciliation presentations

Advancing the Association’s Strategic Plan as it pertains to FNME priorities

Memorandum of Understanding on Treaty Education

The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, the Saskatchewan Indigenous Cultural Centre, the Office of the Treaty Commissioner and the Saskatchewan School Boards Association have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Reconciliation through Treaty education:

Resolution on Display of Treaty Symbol

It is important for all Canadians to learn about the Treaties, what they represent and how they shaped our country. To continue supporting and strengthening efforts related to Treaty education, the SSBA Indigenous Council submitted a resolution at the 2017 Annual General Meeting that all school boards be encouraged to display the Treaty symbol within their schools and board offices. This resolution passed with strong support from our membership.

Position Paper — Mandatory Curriculum

Saskatchewan School Boards Association’s Advocacy Paper for Mandatory Curriculum that includes the rich and diverse history of First Nations and Métis Peoples pre-contact and the legacy of the Indian Residential Schools:

Reconciliation in Saskatchewan Education

The SSBA believes that by moving together through education and toward reconciliation, we start to envision a Canada where the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians is founded on mutual respect.

The SSBA supports the Calls to Action in the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).

Treaty Territory Acknowledgement — Suggested Guidelines

Why do we acknowledge Treaty territory and the Métis homeland? By acknowledging this we are paying our respect to the First Nations and Métis ancestors of this place and reaffirming our relationship with one another.

Our land is sacred, as believed by the First Nations, and it is an important part of our history and who we are. By acknowledging the land and territory we are in, we pause for a moment to respect our Canadian history, the culture and those that occupied the land before the settlers arrived. At the same time, we acknowledge the treaties that were signed, which were agreements to share the land and resources.

Orange Shirt Day

On Sept. 30, 2018, Orange Shirt Day is again being officially recognized in Saskatchewan.

Orange Shirt Day is recognized on Sept. 30 each year and is part of a larger movement in the country to provide opportunity for First Nations, governments, schools and communities to unite in a spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come.

The Orange Shirt Day movement is a legacy of the St. Joseph Mission residential school commemoration event held in Williams Lake, B.C., in 2013. It grew out of the account of a young girl having her new orange shirt taken away on her first day of school at the mission.

At the SSBA Spring General Assembly in 2016, members passed a resolution to request that the Government of Saskatchewan officially recognize Orange Shirt Day.

Sept. 30, 2016, was officially proclaimed as “Orange Shirt Day” in Saskatchewan. That marked the first year that Orange Shirt Day was officially recognized in the province.

Staff members from SSBA and SASBO participate in an Orange Shirt Day walk in Regina.

Aboriginal Youth Entrepreneurship Program

The SSBA completed its three-year commitment coordinating the AYEP for the province in the summer of 2016. For the 2016-17 school year, Saskatoon Public Schools has assumed that responsibility. To date, more than 500 students throughout Saskatchewan have participated in the AYEP.

The SSBA thanks the following organizations for their generous and continued support for the AYEP:

Logo

The logo was created by Shelley Brown and Shelley Daye. The bear paw is symbolic of power and protection and the colors yellow, red, white and black represent the spiritual, emotional, mental and physical health of First Nations people. The Métis sash symbolizes the pride of the Métis people. The dream catcher is used to unite First nations and Métis people and to show that nations united are stronger than any one alone and that they can support each other in power, health and friendship.

For more information or to inquire about booking a presentation, please contact: